Painful Choices
by seiyo
Summary: Sally and Wufei goes on a mission with a slight twist to it. new chapter up
1. one: the mission

painful choices1

AAAAHHHH! Stupid! Stupid! I hate this. I hate this day. I hate my notebook. I hate myself. THIS is supposed to be my FOURTH fanfic, but my old fanfic notebook got lost somehow and now I can't type my other fics. AAARRGGHH! 

A/N: Sorry for that. It's just that I can't keep my ramblings on hold. Now, about the fanfic. This is my first shot in writing a GW fic so I don't know how this would actually turn out, but I'm hoping that it would be better. 

Disclaimer: Anyway, despite everything, I just HAVE to tell you that I do not own Gundam Wing so please don't sue me. 

Painful Choices 

by Seiyo 

Chapter I 

Preventer's headquarters, Sally sank into her comfy chair taking in the sight of sunlight came into the large room, illuminating the mahogany desk, ergonomic chairs, PC's and other gadgets. 'Such a nice day to waste in this office', Sally thought before glancing down at her watch. It was almost 8:00 AM. '10, 9, 8, 7…' Sally looked at the door and counted in her head, … '4, 3, 2, -' 

Click. The door abruptly opened and in came a young man with jet-black hair in a ponytail. 

'Right on time as always…' Sally thought before greeting the newcomer, "Good Morning, Wufei." 

Despite the enthusiasm in her greeting, the only recognition Sally got was a nod and ma grunt before he headed to his own desk and began typing away. 

Sally sighed in exasperation. Ever since the cranky pilot joined the preventers seven years ago, her mornings with Wufei had always been the same way. 'Except for the fact that he was already taller than her since he had hit a growth spurt and was hearing the six foot mark that is.' He arrives precisely on time and never gives her any attention except on rare instances when he has to ask something from her. Goodness! He never even called her by her name! Sometimes she thinks that she's going crazy. After all the insults he'd thrown her way, she didn't even feel like hating him. Annoyed, yes but not hate. In fact she's curious about how he got his arrogant attitude. Well, of course she knew about his wife Merian and she was Chinese herself so she knew how it was to be raised in a Chinese environment and it offered some explanation about his pride, but those aren't really enough. 

Frankly, they never really got along that well. She can almost hear Wufei call her stupid woman and scream for justice. 

"Onna" 

She heard the voice but dismissed it as part of her thoughts. 'I'm thinking so much about that chauvinist I'm even hearing his voice in my head.' 

"Onna" 

'Ok, there it goes again. I never thought someone could have a daydream this real. What's wrong with me?' 

"Baka Onna" 

'I have such a vivid imagination. It even sounds real.' 

"Onna!" this time, the call was punctuated by a sharp jab of a finger on her shoulder. 

Sally turned in response and came face to face with a man's well-built torso. When she looked up, her view was filled with that of Wufei's indignant form. It was enough to make her laugh her head off, but she tried to control it. 

"It is an injustice for women to daydream at work!" Wufei muttered. 

"Hello to you too Wufei," Sally answered cool as she reclined on her chair, "What could be the reason for your gracious appearance?" 

Wufei was already annoyed at the moment, "Lady Une called us into her office. If you weren't in dreamland, you would have heard." 

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Sally stood up and walked out of the office, leaving an infuriated Wufei behind her.

One minute and 30 seconds later in Lady Une's office… 

"WHAT?!?" 

"I said the two of you would be sent to China," Lady Une replied. 

"I meant what you said before that," Wufei corrected her. 

"You'd be going as a married couple," Lady Une answered and leaned back into her seat watching Wufei's reaction and trying to ward off the amused look on her face. 

"This is a BIG joke! That Maxwell must have put you up to this!" Wufei shouted indignantly. 

"I believe that is not so Wufei." Lady Une replied calmly, "the two of you will be sent to on assignment to China to investigate the reports about the production of mobile dolls by an elite group." 

"But why do we have to pose as a married couple when we in filtrate the base?" Wufei questioned. 

"We need both of you out there. Intelligence reports say that this group manufactures mobile dolls but they cannot pinpoint or even have an idea where they operate. They go into the city for meetings then drive off somewhere. It's hard to keep track of them because they go in separate vehicles. That's where the two of you come in. You have to go undercover, pretend to support their cause until hey trust you enough to take you with them." 

"But-" Wufei was about to interrupt but Lady Une raised a hand to silence him. 

"Yes, I know you could probably go separately into one mission, but this is a tight group and if you ever want to get in, you'd be in tight surveillance, with that, you won't be able to communicate much with each other without getting them suspicious. We won't be able lend much help in that area either that's why you'd have to go together," Lady Une paused and crossed her arms in front of her, "and I don't think you'd pass as siblings or acquaintances either," this comment earned a snicker from Sally. 

"Why us? Why not Zechs and Noin, they're perfect for it," Wufei continued reasoning out although the conversation was as good as final. 

"Yes, they're perfect when you consider the marriage part, but this is China and even though you didn't spend much of your life in it, I'd expect you'd be more familiar with the place, the traditions and culture. That would help very much. Besides, due to some unavoidable circumstances, Noin won't be able to go on mission for a while." Lady Une raised an eyebrow, "Any more questions?" 

"Yeah," Wufei responded quickly, "I-" 

"Oh please," Sally cut him off with a cold voice, "Stop complaining. It's not like you could do anything about it. Besides, it's not as if you have to marry me for real," then turning to Lady Une, "Is there anything else we have to know?" 

"No, that's for the most part of it. You'd be leaving in two days and I'd be sending other details later today. Here are your new profiles," Lady Une replied. 

"Thank you," Sally got the folder and went out of the room quietly, Wufei's confused gaze following her. 

"Did something happen this morning?" Lady Une asked him. 

"None that I know of," Wufei answered, a hint of bewilderment in his tone. 

Author's notes: Ha! Finally finished it. A mission with a twist. While I was doing this I kinda thought that most of the time, Sally and Wufei get sent to the usual missions so I added something else to it. So what d'ya think? Feedback please. mail me at [seiyo@hotmail.com][1]. 

   [1]: mailto:seiyo@hotmail.com



	2. two: confrontations

painful choices 2

A/N: Okay, chapter 2 here. enjoy yourself. I really do hope you'd like it.

Disclaimer: The usual I don't own Gundam Wing stuff 

Painful Choices

by Seiyo

Chapter 2 

Sally pounded at the corridors of Preventers Headquarters, folder in hand. With a certain destination at her mind, she continued onwards, not paying any attention to the confused looks the other people were giving her. 

"That guy is so…" Sally muttered to herself, clenching her fists, trying to find the right word to describe the alleged person, "ARGHHHHH!!!" she slowed her pace and screamed in frustration, gaining more attention from her unsuspecting officemates. 

One new recruit had the guts (or shall we say stupidity) to approach her and ask. "Uh, Lt. Po, are you okay?" and was rewarded with a half shouted "I'm FINE!" that sent him and the other preventers scurrying away. 

As Sally watched the backs of the fleeing recruits, she heaved a huge sigh and continued on her way while trying to calm herself. It took much effort to hold her annoyance earlier in the office, and right now, she needed an outlet. And she needed it FAST. 

Stopping in front of another room, she composed herself and was about to knock when the door was opened by a flaxen haired man, talking to someone inside. 

"So what should I- Oh, hi Sally," Zechs Merquise, or rather Milliardo Peacecraft, the acclaimed lightning baron who came back from the dead greeted Sally. 

"Morning, is Noin in?" 

"Lu!" Milliardo called to someone inside, "Sally's here," turning back to Sally, "Come in." 

A woman with raven locks came out of what was supposed to be the bathroom. Although she is still called Noin by most people out of habit, she technically doesn't own the last name since she got married and became a legal Peacecraft three years ago. 

"Hey there," Noin gave Sally a scrutinizing look and then turned to Milliardo, "Zechs, could you please get me some cream-filled donuts, a box of Twinkies, almond ice cream and garlic peanuts for me to munch on?" 

Milliardo groaned, "At 8:30 in the morning?" 

Noin glared lovingly (is that possible?) at him, "Yes," glancing quickly at Sally. 

Milliardo quickly understood and nodded, "Fine. I'll leave you ladies to socialize, " he gave Noin a quick peck on the cheek and walked out. 

"How can you eat all those?" Sally crinkled her nose, "No wonder you're putting on weight, not to mention becoming a slave driver." 

"Well at least what I eat are real food," Noin reasoned out, "I heard Relena's getting cravings for peanut butter and mint cookies plus tomato ketchup sandwiches." 

"Ewww," Sally crinkled her nose further. 

"Besides," Noin continued, "It's one of the perks of being pregnant. You get to boss your husband and they can't say one word about it." 

"Where's your toddler?" Sally asked as she sat on one of the comfortable couches. 

"Visiting his Unca Heewo and Auntie Lena," Noin explained, "After the racket he's done here last week, I resolved not to bring him too often. Two-year olds could be a nuisance you know," Noin pause, then offered, "Want some coffee?" 

"Nah. Let's talk." 

Noin sat herself across Sally and smirked at her, "Wufei?" 

Sally raised an eyebrow, "How did you know?" 

Noin shrugged, "Intuition." 

Sally just looked at her. 

Relenting, Noin answered the question, "Honestly Sal, you're one of my closest friends and you always come to me when you have problems and about ninety percent of them are caused by or related to Wufei." 

"That's because that egoistic creep always pisses me off," Sally complained. 

"Well, that's about all you ever do to each other," Noin commented teasingly. 

"I can never agree with you more," Sally sighed, "I could handle operation meteor and a dozen other missions, but when it comes to him, I always lose it. He makes my blood boil." 

"So what happened?" 

"We were given a new mission," Sally gave a short answer. 

"Oh," Noin nodded as if Sally's statement explained it all, "THAT mission." 

Sally's eyes widened at Noin's reaction, "LUCREZIA PEACECRAFT! YOU KNEW ALL ALONG AND YOU NEVER EVEN TOLD ME!?!" 

Noin's only answer was a guilty look on her face. 

"How could you?" Sally added accusingly. 

"Oh please," Noin rolled her eyes, "It's not as if you could do anything about it if I told you." _And besides, _Noin added silently to herself_, seeing your reaction proved to be worth it._

"I could have PREPARED!" Sally glared at her. 

"Sal, It's done already. Now tell me why you're so upset." 

Sally settled herself and started, "Oh, it's nothing THAT serious. Just that when Lady Une broke the news, my arrogant partner started reasoning to her about why should we be the ones to go, why not go separately, yadda, yadda, yadda, and all the other stuff that could he could possibly think of. It couldn't have been more obvious than simply saying that he didn't want to work with me in that arrangement. Sheesh, it's not as if we really have to get married. Well, to make the story short, I was annoyed by his bickering," Sally finished and sat back. 

"Is that all?" Noin inquired. 

"Yes." 

Noin reached over to grasp Sally's hand, "Sal, are you sure you were annoyed by all his complaints and that you're not upset because it seemed that he didn't want to work on this assignment with you?" 

Caught off guard by the question, Sally was unable to answer. When she did recover, she replied, "Yes." 

Noin looked at her earnestly, "I don't think so." 

Sally turned away and reached over to get her folder, trying to avoid the confrontation looming ahead of them, "Let's see what new personality Lady Une has in store for me," she looked up and gave Noin a small smile, trying to make her understand that she doesn't want to talk right now. 

"By the way, how come you knew about the mission before I did?" Sally asked while opening the folder. 

"We were supposed to do it, but due to some pregnancy issues…" 

"What is THIS?" Sally stared at opened folder in front of her. 

Noin quickly looked over Sally's shoulder and laughed at the first line she read in the profile, "Former beauty queen? Une has really done it this time." 

Sally sagged into the couch and turned to Noin, "I think I'm gonna need some help." 

@@@ 

Back in the office, Wufei sat in front of the computer, trying to concentrate on his work… and hopelessly failing. Wufei grumbled on his seat, muttering to himself. 

"That baka onna…" (or something close to that) 

__'What happened out there?' he asked himself_, 'I don't remember doing anything to her. Well, neither did she do anything to me. She didn't blow her head or something. She just told me off coolly and she was… different. And that's exactly what's bothering me.' _Wufei reasoned out with himself silently. He went over the scene in his mind. And he distinctly remembered Sally speaking only after he had protested against the mission, '_could that be the reason why?'_

"Yeah right, fat chance Chang Wufei," he scolded himself, '_but you could never know…'_ his mind nagged at him. 

"But it was true. Deep inside, he somehow wanted her to disagree with him, to convince him that they had to do the mission. Sally Po was one of the women whom he respects. She's levelheaded and logical unlike most women who'd lose their head in some situations. And, even if Wufei hated to admit it, she was… strong, just like some other women he met during the war. 

"Now where the hell did that come from?" Wufei frowned, '_you're finally admitting that you like her,' _a voice answered at the back of his mind. 

"No. I will not let this happen. I will never have feelings for anyone. Emotions are weaknesses." 

'_You're just afraid to get hurt'_

"Maybe, but I still won't let it happen." 

"Hey Wufei!" a cheerful voice rang out as Duo Maxwell strutted into the room, "Who are you talkin' to?" 

"None of your business Maxwell," Wufei answered in a stern voice. 

Author's notes: like it? Hate it? Please do tell me. I did this chapter to just to show how they're feelin' about the mission. 'Just had to add the beauty queen thingie. I think Ms. Congeniality's rubbing on me a little. It doesn't mean that Sally's got no class or something, cause I do think she looks good. It's just that in the series I usually see her wearing that vest and pants attire or sometimes something with her preventer jacket but definitely always wearing pants so I decided to make her wear something else and show more of her feminine side. Besides, I thought the idea would be interesting. And by the way, about the title. I don't know but it might be subject to change. When I started this fic, I had something dramatic in mind especially for the last few chapters but honestly, it's turning out to be something else. Anyway, please mail me at [seiyo@hotmail.com][1]. 

   [1]: mailto:seiyo@hotmail.com



	3. three: onset

A/N: Here's chapter three… I can't believe I finally uploaded it… it's been such a long time. 

To melpomene-san: I kept my promise, well it's late but still… 

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. 

Painful Choices 

Chapter 3: Onset 

Two days later, Wufei was already waiting at the office.

"She's late! What kind of person would be late during a mission?!" Wufei paced around the office, for once, wearing a formal business suit instead of his traditional Chinese attire or his Preventers jacket. 

"Don't Worry Wufei," Duo patted him on the back, a teasing smile on his face, "Sally won't walk out of this 'marriage'." 

"SHUT UP YOU BRAIDED BAKA!!!" 

"Hey! Cool it off," Quatre stopped the two, "the last thing we need right now is the two of you fighting, okay." 

"What? I was just trying to comfort our newly wedded pal here," Duo complained. 

"Stop it Duo," Hilde chimed in, lightly pulling at her fiancée's braid, "the way I see it, you're only going to make matters worse." 

""Now, Wufei," Quatre spoke once more, "I'm sure there's a good reason why Sally can't come on time. 

"Yeah, maybe she ran off with another man," Duo muttered, earning a warning look from Quatre and another tug from Hilde. 

At that moment, Milliardo came in to ask, "Has anyone seen Lucrezia?" 

"No," the answer came from Wufei, "Isn't she supposed to be your wife?" he added sarcastically. 

"Uhhh…" Quatre stepped in, "Sorry, it's just that Wufei's upset because Sally hasn't arrived yet." 

"I see," Milliardo nodded, "Now I know where my wife is." 

He was about to seat himself when the door opened once again. This time, Lucrezia came in. 

"My, aren't we having lots of visitors today," Duo commented. 

"Where's Sally?" Milliardo was the first one to ask. 

"She'll be here in a minute," Noin smiled at all of them, "She just dropped by Une's office." 

With that, the group settled down and anxiously waited for Sally to come in. However, when the door opened the next time, it was Lady Une's face that greeted them. 

"Hmm…" She took in the growing number of curious people inside the room, seemingly satisfied with her observations, she decided to express them, "Don't we have a lot of people in here?" intoned in a stern voice. 

"Don't worry Une," a voice from the door interrupted the impending dispersal of the crowd, "I believe they'd be scooting off in a little while." 

Sally entered the room. Silence reigned as various eyes widened and jaws dropped to the floor while Lady Une and Noin were sporting satisfied grins on their faces. 

She surveyed everyone's reaction with pleasure, looked at herself, and then in mock indignation, she asked, "Why? What's wrong with me?" 

Sally looked… different. She was wearing a sleeveless, fuchsia boatneck blouse, and a matching chiffon skirt that reached her knee. On her hand were a stretch cotton jacket and a suede bag. Her hair was out of their usual twists and instead, fell her shoulders, styled perfectly to show their waviness. To complete the look, she was wearing black, leather slip-ons and her nails were done with colorless polish. All in all, she looked pretty and appealing, and at the same time mature and professional in her attire. 

"Duo was the first one to recover from his shock, "Who are you and what did you do to Sally?" he asked in a disbelieving tone. 

In contrast to what her fiancée had just said, Hilde squealed as she came forward and held Sally at arm's length and said in a delighted voice, "Sally! You look wonderful!" 

Sally gave her an appreciative smile. 

"I must agree," Quatre promptly complimented, "You look very pretty." 

"Why thank you Quatre" 

"Very nice indeed Sally," Zechs commented, "Now wonder my wife was gone for two days. You made lots of wonderful changes." 

"Yeah," Sally agreed, "She was busy doing things to me that she should be doing to herself considering you should be the ones playing these roles," she playfully accused. 

Several more compliments and thank you's were exchanged until Wufei, who was obviously disconcerted by his partners new look stuttered, "Why are you wearing that onna? We're on a mission and were not going to some party." 

"Sally raised an eyebrow at him, "And why are you wearing _that_," she pointed at Wufei's black business suit, which was clearly of a designer label." 

"Because I'm supposed to be a business man." 

"A filthy rich business man you mean," she stated coolly, "and with a model for a wife. So don't you think it's just appropriate for _me _to wear _this_?" 

"A model?!" 

"You mean you didn't know? You should have read you're profile." 

"I did!" 

"Then why are you so surprised?" 

"Because," Wufei quickly picked up a folder and shoved it in front of Sally, "It's not there." 

Sally scanned the document, gave a knowing look at Wufei, and the two turned to glare at Lady Une, who in turn, have then an uneasy smile, " I suppose my secretary failed to include it there." 

Duo chuckled heartily, "I never knew lady Une had a knack for tricks, next thing we know, she would have gotten Quatre and Dorothy together without eyebrow girl skewering our friend. " by the time he finished, four people were already glaring at him, namely Sally, Wufei, Lady Une, Hilde and Quatre, who was displeased by Duo's remark about Dorothy. 

"Uh guys," Noin sweatdropped as irritated faces turned to her, "It's almost 9:00. If you don't leave now, you might miss your flight." 

"Fine," Wufei grumbled, as he got his luggage, "C'mon onna." 

"You know Wufei," Hilde commented, giving a small smile, "I think if you were to play your part, you should call Sally something else besides that." 

"Good luck on that,' Duo sniggered. 

'Whatever," Wufei snorted a she made his exit while Sally tagged along. 

When the hotheaded Chinese reached the lobby of Preventers Headquarters, his mouth curved into a disapproving frown while looking pointedly in front of him, 

"Onna, what is this?" he gestured at the black car. 

"A limo?" 

"I know that, but we don't need it." 

"I didn't do anything" 

"Then who could have done it?" 

"Une." 

Wufei clenched his fists and groaned loudly, "That meddling onna is going overboard!" 

"C'mon sweetie," Sally spoke offhandedly, "It's just a limo, there's no need to get agitated, besides we should take advantage of the perks that this assignment would bring us." 

"I am not ag-" Wufei stopped in midsentence and raised a finger at Sally, "What did you just call me?" 

"Sweetie. Why? C'mon Wufei, you don't really think I meant it." 

"Of course not. I mean…" his voice trailed off. 

"Don't worry, I was just practicing my part. Now go and put your luggage in." 

"Where are yours?" 

"Already there." 

As the couple approached the waiting car, the chauffeur quickly stepped up to open the door in front of them. Sally moved to the far side, leaving some space beside her, but Wufei just stood there and was about to turn around when the chauffeur called at him. 

"Won't you go in sir?" 

"I still have to get my luggage," he answered and was about to take a step when another man immediately took his luggage to load it into the limo, to Wufei's annoyance. Sally watched, amused by the expressions in the men's faces when Wufei gave them his own version of the death glare. Finally, he got into the car and settled himself on the space Sally allotted for him. 

"I thought the driver was going to run off with fear," she smirked at him. 

"It is a dishonor to have things done for you when you are fully capable of doing them by yourself," Wufei muttered darkly. 

"Hey, loosen up. It's not so bad to indulge yourself once in a while you know." 

"Self-indulgence is only for he weak onna," he looked pointedly at her. 

Sally glared indignantly, "So now you think I'm weak?" 

"I didn't say anything onna…" Wufei bit back a smile. He must admit, having these squabbles with her is perfectly entertaining. 

"This is going to be a long ride…" Sally rolled her eyes before facing Wufei to retaliate. 

An elegant, black limousine stopped in front of the airport entrance, drawing the attention of several people. When the doors were held open, a striking young man stepped out. A pretty, blonde woman came next and took the am offered by the man. To those watching, the two appeared to be a lovely, happy couple, yet unknown to them, some remarks were already being passed between the two. 

"I'm going to get back at you for that," Wufei hissed contemptuously at the woman beside her. 

"Aww sweetie…" Sally gave him a big smile, putting up a show, "that's so nice of you…" then in a low voice, "Admit it. You lost that round the moment you said the word weak." 

Wufei observed just now his so-called 'wife' had another talent as she spoke to him without the smile on her face. 

"How nice, you're adept at ventriloquism. We might just have a use for you someday." 

Sally was about to retort but they were already at the desk. They readily gave their passports. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Zhang?" 

"Yes," Wufei confirmed. 

The woman at the desk called on a man and gestured to Wufei and Sally then, with a nod, "Please follow him." 

Sally nodded and gave the woman a polite thank you. 

They were led by the man to a small plane. 

"Private plane?" Sally raised an eyebrow while Wufei didn't say a thing. 

They boarded quickly and were met by a bubbly redhead. 

"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Zhang! I'll be the one to assist you throughout your flight!" 

"Hn." (guess from whom this came from) 

" Sally nudged him, reprimanding his rudeness. 

The woman led them cordially to their seat and sat herself across them. Wufei, with his obsessive compulsion to stay out of the range of 'weak onnas' rather posed a question. 

"Uh miss…" 

"Carter," the woman answered obligingly, "but I'd prefer that you call me Ashley." 

"Miss Carter, aren't we taking you time? Surely you have lots of thing to do." 

"Oh no sir. It's fine with me. I love socializing with people, besides, it's my job to keep you company." 

"Hn," Wufei huffed and looked disconsolately away, but the Ashley took no notice of it. _Baka onna, can't even take a hint_. 

"So where are you headed Mrs. Zhang?" the girl asked with a bright smile on her face. 

"Please, call me Tamara, there's no need for formalities, really. And as for your question, well…" Sally trailed off, looking for a probable answer, then, reaching a verdict, he reached for Wufei's arm and continued, "We are going on a second honeymoon due to my better half's insistence, right sweetheart?" 

Wufei just raised an eyebrow at her and was about to protest when he met Sally's eyes and saw the hard expression in them. He had no choice but to agree, "yes," just after giving this answer, an idea crossed his mind. He put on his sweetest expression and said, "Yes, my onna and I will be having a second honeymoon." 

"Onna?" the girl's eyes widened in question. 

"Yes," Wufei seemed to smile at Ashley, ignoring Sally's piqued expression, knowing very well that he had annoyed her by using her most hated expression, "Onna is my endearment for my beloved wife." 

He threw a triumphant smirk at Sally then put an arm across her shoulder. 

Sally, knowing that she had to play her part, held herself back from smacking Wufei and tried to smile, "Isn't he such a dear?" 

"Well if that's the case, I should be leaving you lovebirds here by yourselves so you can start," Ashley gave another one of her brilliant smiles ad walked off. 

_Halleluiah! _Wufei rejoiced silently as he watched the redhead saunter off, then to Sally, "I believe I have won that round," he gave her one of his triumphant smirks. 

Sally gritted her teeth, "If you don't mind, I'd like to take a nap." 

"But we should get started with the honeymoon onna," Wufei leered at her. 

"Shut up!" 

A/N: review please. If you like the story then stay tuned, I'm gonna upload ch.4 very soon. 


	4. the show starts

A/N: Here's chapter four for you. I know this was later than expected, but i got bogged down by school requirements. Thank you to those who reviewed previously, I appreciate it lot. 

To Melpomene: Gomen ne. Anyway, here it is. I hope you won't be disappointed 

Disclaimer:I don not own GW 

Painful Choices 

Chapter 4: the show starts 

'Hotel Grandeur.' That was the name of the chic place that the couple entered to stay in for the duration of their mission, unless, of course, if duty calls for a different location.

"How appropriate," Sally muttered as they stepped into the opulent hotel lobby, taking in the gleaming, marble floors, elegant fixture and not to mention the gigantic chandelier that illuminates the grand staircase. It was all very beautiful, and undoubtedly very expensive.

"Are there reservations under Mr. and Mrs. Zhang?" Wufei asked when they approached the front desk. 

"I'll look it up sir." 

"Thank you" 

"Nice place," Sally commented, trying to start a conversation. 

"Yeah," came Wufei's short reply. 

Silence closed in on them. No one appears to have any topic in mind. It seems that all lines of conversation and points of argument had been exhausted that afternoon during the trip. Sally pursed her lips, apparently thinking of something to say, and not finding any, she decided to wander off. She ended up looking at the mini garden to the left, her gaze drifted restlessly as exhaustion slowly crept up on her. 

She could feel the heaviness in the air as the full weight of this mission hit her. It wasn't easy, this thing they had to do. Not for her at least. There's just too many things about her. At least she was enjoying the whole thing, for the time being anyway, but she's pretty sure rough times are up ahead. She was too absorbed to notice the figure that walked towards her. 

"You seem to be quiet. What happened? Cat got your tongue?" Wufei's mocking voice interrupted her train of thoughts. 

"Certainly not. I was only thinking of another way to rile your honorable person." 

"Well then think, until your flighty onna brain can make something up. I'm sure it'll be in a couple of days or so, if you get lucky maybe you might just think of something tonight," he smirked at her, "Be sure to notify me then." 

"You… you… CREEP!!!" 

"Is that the best you can do?" 

"Jerk!" 

Wufei looked at her face and sighed resignedly, "C'mon, let's go" 

"What? We're not finished and you know that buster." 

"You're tired. Let's go." He took a hold of her arm and started leading her to the stairs. 

"And how in the world did you come to that lousy conclusion?" she raised an eyebrow at him. 

"You can't think of proper insults anymore. That's a sign that your brain is getting muddled and therefore you're tired," Wufei stated in a matter-of-fact voice. 

"YOU are SUCH a-" 

"Don't try to argue with me onna. You know that I'm right so let's go," he started pulling her up the staircase. 

"You don't know me." 

"Yes I do. I've been working with you long enough and so far I haven't miscalculated," When Wufei saw the looks that some of the people were giving them, he wrapped his arms around her and using a voice loud enough to be heard by the onlookers said, "Come on sweetheart. I know how much you love gardening and I promise I'll give you anything you want but after you take a rest." 

Sally's eyes widened with surprise. She wasn't expecting that from him, but she caught on immediately. Straightening up, she smiled at Wufei and hooked her arm around his for show, "ok" 

They followed the porter through a maze of corridors until they stopped in front of a varnished oak door. Of course there wasn't anything different about that oak door since almost every room in that place had a varnished oak door, but it was the inside that made all the difference. Wall to wall carpeting covered the floors. A plush living room greeted their eyes, complete with a divan and a love seat, plus a coffee table. 

Sally's eyes lit up with appreciation. She approached the door that most probably led to the sleeping quarters and opened it. Taking in the king-sized, four poster bed and the tasteful furnishings, she stretched and sighed, then with absolute bliss, plomped herself down on it, "Heaven…" 

Wufei watched with amusement. He seldom sees her that carefree. Come to think of it, he never actually saw her that way before. 

"I must say that Lady Une has a very nice taste in lodgings…" Sally murmured. 

"Fairly well I guess. It makes up for her conniving intentions…" 

"Hmmm…" 

"We'll start at 20:00 hrs" 

"uhm…" 

"Rest now." 

"…" 

Wufei sighed. _I didn't have to tell her that._ Wufei watched her for a while. She looked so peaceful. _I guess we'll have to talk about sleeping arrangements later on._ That was his last thought before he started checking up the equipment that Une had set up for them. 

7:55 pm 

Sally was tapping her foot rhythmically on the floor, up and ready for the mission, but there was the predicament of the missing partner that has yet to be solved. When she woke up, the equipment that Lady Une supposedly sent before them were already set up, but Wufei, who undoubtedly did the setting up, and her supposed husband was nowhere to be found. She was beginning to mutter impatiently when the door's creaking effectively stopped her just as the clock stroke 8:00 pm. 

"The egoistic creep is on time as always," Sally mumbled as Wufei entered. 

"I see you're ready." 

"Obviously, you're not the only person in the world who can be punctual." 

"Maybe, but compared to you, I'm always better at it." 

Sally rolled her eyes and let that go since it did have a tinge of truth in it, "Where have you been?" 

Wufei shrugged, "Around. Now let's go," He took he hand and led her through the corridors and into the plush dining hall of the hotel. It was not until they were seated and have been served their food that Sally started a conversation. 

"Well.." 

"What?" 

"Well can you brief me about what you've been doing?" 

"You finally had the sense to ask." 

"Will you just stop it? We're trying to keep an appearance here and your snide remarks are not helping." 

"Well if you didn't sleep then you would've known everything I know by now." 

"Fine. You're right." Sally spoke in resignation, "But I was tired and you knew that. Maintaining the look of a model is not easy work especially when you're not used to it." 

"How would I know, I'm not one." 

"Well then maybe you should try it. Wear high heels and mini skirts for a change and let's see how you feel." 

"That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard from you. Besides, that's your job, not mine" 

"Then don't complain about anything." 

"Fine" 

"Fine" 

"So…" 

"What?" 

Sally sighed in exasperation, "Can't you ever stop being obstinate? You haven't told me anything yet." 

"Fine,' Wufei put on a serious look, "I've scouted around trying to look up the list of suspected people Une had given us. I found out that they were the ideal conspirators for disrupting the peace. Ambitious, rich and influential sort of people who want more power than they could probably manage. 

"Did you get any idea about what their motives are?" 

"No. That's what we're supposed to find out. We're going to the casino after dinner and if we're lucky, they're going to be there." 

"And hopefully, we could infiltrate their circle." 

"Hopefully." 

*** 

They were standing in front of another set of oak doors. It was time for show. 

"Ready?" Wufei asked her. 

"Ready." 

"Hold on to my arm and let's try to look like we belong here." 

They strode in, heads held up high and sociable smiles in their faces, all the while taking in the people, trying to look for the familiar faces of their targets. High pitched laughs of women hanging on to their respective partners echoed inside the place, voices of men voicing their bets and stakes rumbled on. It was the orderly chaos that always seemed to rule most casinos and such places that greeted them. Out of the corner of his eyes, Wufei noticed two men whispering in a corner and glance at them. After sometime, one of the two, a tall, well-dressed and dark-haired man approached them, while he nudged Sally imperceptibly. 

Sally felt the slight push at her and looked at Wufei, whose head was turned at his side. Following her partner's gaze, she saw the man. A welcoming smile lighted his handsome face as he approached them. He looked familiar, as she had looked at his picture a dozen of times in various reports in Preventer's headquarters, but his name though, she can't remember. 

"Good evening sir," he held up his hand for a handshake, that Wufei graciously accepted, "I believe that you are new in this place. I have been a frequent guest here and I swear that I have never seen you before." 

"You are quite accurate, Mister…" 

"Ah, my name is Silvanus Roscoe, and I'm pleased to make your acquaintance…" 

"Nathaniel Zhang. And you are right Mr. Roscoe, we are new here." 

"It is nice to know that I' haven't lost my touch when it comes to those things," then to Sally, he gave an enigmatic smile and kissed her hand, "and you mademoiselle, would be…" 

Sally felt the intense gaze of the man's eyes on her "Tamara Zhang, his wife," Sally gave bright smile to the charming man. 

"Ah, you rend my heart beautiful lady, and my high hopes of spending time with you." 

"Oh you can spend time with me of course, I am not discouraging it. I love making new friends." 

Silvanus' eyes sparkled with amusement, "True, but t is not mere friendship that I was after and I'm afraid you husband might kill me with his looks if I don't stop anytime soon." 

"I trust my wife Mr. Roscoe," Wufei glanced at Sally. 

"That I do not doubt, but I'm pretty sure you're not here to talk. You're here to enjoy, and since I was the first to welcome you, it would just be proper that I challenge you," Silvanus was already leading them to a table. 

"Fine with me. One card. Highest card wins. What is the wager?" 

"Ten million." 

Sally almost gasped. She knows they had the money in Preventer's but ten million is a large sum to lose. 

Wufei nodded and took a seat, "Deal." 

Silvanus Roscoe nodded to the dealer and the two men were given one card each. 

"Tell me Mr. Zhang, what's your job? 

"I'm a business man." 

"Must be a large business you run." 

"Large enough." 

"I haven't heard of you before," Silvanus sent Wufei a piercing stare. 

Wufei met the stare head on, "Nor have I heard of you. We belong to different circles." 

"What's you opinion about the current state of the world?" 

"It's peaceful, but peace gets boring at times," Wufei answered nonchalantly. 

"Jack of hearts," Silvanus Roscoe flipped his card over. 

Wufei raised an eyebrow and turned his card over, revealing the king of hearts, "I believe I win." 

"Come with me Mr. Zhang. I have people for you to meet." 

Wufei stood up and took Sally's hand before following. A grave look on his face. They've done it. 

Silvanus Roscoe. The name stuck to Sally's head. She remembers now. Silvanus Roscoe was a ladies' man, a true charmer, and very rich. He has been involved in political skirmishes now and then but never in anything too big. That just made her wonder what he knows about this whole thing. 

A/N: How was that? Hopefully I'd get chapter 5 up soon enough. 


	5. people and projects

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to someone else, namely Sunrise and Sotsu agency, not me. 

Painful Choices 

Chapter 5: people and projects 

Sally looked thoughtfully at the back of Silvanus Roscoe, as the couple followed the man quietly while he threaded through the throng of people enjoying themselves and using up their money in the betting tables, looking around as they passed the restaurant part of the casino where less chancy people choose to socialize. She could feel Wufei's hand on her elbow and almost smirked as she thought, '_How gentlemanly of him,' _but was stopped with the change of scenery. The partners exchanged a glance as the man led them through the steel double doors that opened into the kitchen, worked their way through the busy mess and out into a quiet hallway of what seemed to be an elegant house. The thuds of their footsteps echoed on the walls as the company of three trudged forward until they came to an intricately carved oak door. 

Roscoe held up a hand to signal a stope and then turned to the pair behind him, "Wait here." 

The steady silence settled once more as Wufei gave a brief nod as an answer and Roscoe entered the room. 

Left behind, the pair's eyes began to look around, and after a few seconds were seemingly satisfied and exchanged a meaningful look before turning their gaze back on the door, waiting for it to open again. 

*** 

Footsteps again. A pause, and then a voice. 

"Do a background check." 

"I have sir." 

"And?" 

"Married for almost two years, engaged for three and met six years ago in a function hosted by the ESUN. Mr. Zhang had been a part of the L5 colony, but was sent to earth by his clan to study before the colony was blown to bits. He's pretty intelligent if he managed to enter this prestigious university. After graduating, he worked for a firm but found out being employed under someone was incompatible with his temperament so he started his own company, Renegade enterprises. They specialize on metal alloys and other materials, and I think they might expand on security equipments." 

"Isn't that a bit far from their original expertise?" 

"I gathered that it is one of Mr. Zhang's passions when he was younger and it started off with the request of a client who knew about it. A few more clients caught the buzz and since the system Mr. Zhang assembled was quite superb, more requests came. The business is getting millions from it but they still deal mainly with their materials. I looked at his stocks and they're really doing quite well. Oh and four other people have shares in the company." 

"Who are they?" 

"I can't find any information on them. Must be people from high up. My guess is they're funding him for the security systems he's developing. He has also entered other ventures. They're quite risky but the yields are very promising" 

Having read the printout about these ventures, the man looked up again to ask, "And the wife?" 

"Mrs. Tamara Zhang had been born here on earth. She won a minor beauty pageant just after the war and that served as the spring for her career, modeling for a few magazines, but she stopped when she got married. She's an image consultant now." 

The man studied the few pictures handed to him by his subordinate, not a single expression detected on his countenance." 

"We'll let them in." 

*** 

It has been almost ten minutes when the oak door finally opened, revealing a spacious study within, with Silvanus Roscoe standing in the middle of it and beckoning to the partners." 

Putting a hand on Sally's waist like a concerned husband would, Wufei took the first step, Sally trailing a bit after him." 

"Welcome Mr. Zhang," An elderly man wearing a grey suit on his face entered a side door, walked into the study and offered a handshake which Wufei willingly obliged. The man then turned and gave a nod accompanied by a benign, if not compassionate smile to Sally, "Mrs. Zhang." 

Wufei's eyes was filled with curiosity and was about to ask a question but Roscoe readily stepped in before it could be properly voiced out, "This is Dr. Benjamin Thomas, the benefactor and leader of a project we hope to launch soon." 

Nodding briefly, Wufei moved his gave back to the doctor and asked, "Is that why we were brought here?" 

An amused chuckle came as his reply before the man followed it up with words, "Such a quick mind you have Mr. Zhang. From the moment you came in, I was pretty sure you'd want us to get straight to the point." 

"What does this have to do with us?" Wufei asked again, shooting a glare at the man. 

The impatient glare came from Wufei, seemed to elicit more chuckles from the very much amused leader, "Such eagerness to know. I've always thought that it was a good quality, but perhaps a little more patience for you is in order?" 

"I have no reason to be patient when it involves me and my wife." 

"Of course, of course, no patience when a woman is involved," then detecting Sally's raised eyebrows, he turned apologetically to her, "No offense meant there Mrs. Zhang," and training his eyes back to Wufei, "I understand that an explanation is in order." 

"You are a businessman, are you not?" 

"Yes," Wufei nodded in affirmation, quite relieved that the conversation is finally getting somewhere. 

"And a very successful one I might say, I have heard about your booming profits and your other ventures" 

Wufei started at this and looked enquiringly at Dr. Thomas, "Those are not easily accessible information." 

"I have my sources Mr. Zhang, and besides, that is hardly the topic of our conversation. Our group has taken to observing your activities and we find that you may have the capacity to aid us in our project. We would have approached you in a few days, if you have not come to take a vacation in this vicinity" 

"You talked about aid, how could I possibly aid you? Financially?" 

"Of course not Mr. Zhang, I assure you that we are sufficiently funded by multinational and intercolonial companies." 

The words multinational and intercolonial registered deeply into Wufei's mind. He never realized that the project could've been that big, "If not financially, then how? And don't you think we should know more of this project more than anything else?" 

"I'm pretty sure what we'll be asking of you is within your capacity. And about this project, you will see Mr. Zhang, but not now. If I may interest you and your wife though, we have a beautiful resthouse on top of a mountain range and I'm pretty sure you'll see it fit for whatever vacation you have planned. I'll even send my men to fetch you" 

"You didn't answer my question Dr. Thomas." 

"No, I did not, but if you accept my offer…" 

A brief pause before Wufei spoke again, "And if we don't?" 

Dr. Thomas shrugged and grinned mischievously, "I hope your dear wife can handle you many sleepless nights…" 

Sally's eyebrows raised a notch and was almost provoked to unleash a few choice words but Wufei's hand and the sharp sound of a phone ringing effectively stopped her. 

There was a brief "Hello," and a pause before Silvanus Roscoe stepped forward to whisper something to the older man. Dr. Thomas gave a nod of understanding before turning to the couple. 

"If you'll excuse me, it seems that I'm urgently needed somewhere right now. It has been a pleasure meeting you," he gave another of his smiles before turning their back on them, "I will see you at the resthouse." 

The man left the way he came in, Roscoe closing the side doors after him before facing the couple once more. 

"We can go back now." 

They passed the hallways again and were almost past the organized din of the kitchen before Wufei spoke, "What was that all about?" 

"Weren't you listening Mr. Zhang?" Roscoe continued walking, back turned to the pair. 

""Of course I was. One's attention could hardly stray when you're in that kind of situation, but surely you know more about it?" 

"I do know more than you do. And since you listened, you should understand completely what he meant so don't bother asking question because that's all you're gonna get for now." 

"But -" 

"Come tomorrow Mr. Zhang, bring your wife, enjoy in the resthouse, and we'll tell you what you want to know. That's all you have to do," Silvanus Roscoe handed him a card before he walked off, leaving them standing in the casino. 

A few moments passed while Wufei stared at the card. It was Sally who finally broke the silence by tapping Wufei's shoulder. 

"What do you think?" 

Wufei pocketed the card, "I think we should be going back to our room my dear wife. We have lots of things to do," he answered and put his arms around a surprised Sally's shoulders. 

*** 

_'Dear wife'_ the words still lingered on her mind. That sounded so alien, coming from the Wufei that she have known. Well, as it is, that's not Wufei speaking anyway, it was Nathaniel Zhang. 

_'If only…_' Sally shook her head to clear her mind, she knew where her train of thoughts were heading and right now, is the most inappropriate time for it. She looked back at her reflection on the dresser's mirror and proceeded to wipe off the cosmetics on her face, letting her thoughts drift to their mission instead. 

Things are going the way we want them too_ 'Except for a few unforeseen circumstances, that is_' They didn't really plan to leave the vicinity of this particular district, but Dr. Benjamin Thomas had something different in mind, and right now he's the only lead they have, so they just have go with his plan. _'Well there's also that Silvanus Roscoe.'_ They don't exactly know how he stands in all this. He may be one of the masterminds of the project or just another person sought by the group. _'Either way, I think he's trouble'_

Sally sighed as she let the hand holding the cotton swab fall away from her face. A couple of identical swabs were scattered on the dresser by now. _'I feel so much better without that crap on my face.'_

She was just about to stand up when she heard the knock on the bathroom door, "Sweetie, can I come in?" 

Sally's eyes widened before settling back as if she remembered something. She walked over to the door, opened it slowly, revealing the Wufei on the other side, his face looking like he ate a nasty concoction of sour food. Struggling to keep a straight face, she opened the door wider. Wufei stalked in. When finally she got to close the door, Sally let out gales of laughter, making Wufei's face crumple further. 

"Stop it, onna." 

"Can't…" Sally gasped out between laughs, "You look like you swallowed a whole jar of pickles." 

"Ha! Look who's talking, you look like a crazy monkey." 

"I can live with that if it's at your expense." 

Hearing this, Wufei stomped off towards the dresser and occupied the seat, grumbling, "Useless baka onnas" 

"Aw… Wufei, don't worry," Sally sauntered towards where Wufei sat and smirked at him, "I'll symphatize with you. What injustice has a woman done to your male pride this time?" 

"I'd rather not tell you," Wufei's eyes narrowed shrewdly as his eyes scrutinized Sally and looked around the room, "You wouldn't be of help anyway since you're an indecent and messy onna yourself." 

"Indecent and messy?!?" Sally shouted indignantly at him. 

"Decent women don't face a man wearing that thing," Wufei pointed at her robed for. 

"It's called a robe Wufei, and besides you're the one who knocked while I was inside the bathroom." 

"Fine, and how about that?" he now pointed at the cotton swabs scattered on the dresser-top behind him. 

"Well I was going to clean up but you knocked!" 

"Excuses, excuses…" 

"Whatever…" Sally sighed, crossed her arms and looked at Wufei, "What did you want to talk about anyway?" 

The first thing they did when they got back from the casino was to check the room for bugs that may have been planted while they were away, and a good thing they did. They found not only one, but three. Fortunately, the bathroom was quite safe, so they agreed to talk about mission related stuff in there. 

"We have to set up a transmission to headquarters." 

Sally nodded in understanding and proceeded to clear the dresser top while Wufei moved to one of the cabinets to retrieve a leather bag containing his laptop from a hidden compartment he constructed when they arrived. He set it down on the and began to boot it, while Sally did the necessary wirings for other equipment they have to attach. When everything was finished, Wufei logged on to the Preventers network and waited for the signal he sent to reach headquarters. 

Seconds later, there was a short buzz and the screen shifted to reveal Duo Maxwell's face. 

"Hey Wu-man! How's married life?" 

"Wufei chose to ignore the irritation beginning to well up inside him and went straight to the point, "Give me Une." 

"No can do, Wu," Duo shook his head. 

"What do you mean you can't?" 

"Well, it' really quite impossible since she's not here. She was called to Marimeia's school." 

_'Unreliable onna_' the thought immediately registered on Wufei's mind, "Heero then." 

"Guarding Relena in the convention." 

"How about Trowa?" 

"Don't you remember? He's having his vacation." 

"Quatre?" 

"Attending the convention with Relena." 

"Wufei's face crumpled a bit, getting quite desperate, "Zechs and Noin then." 

"Nope, baby check-up" Duo gave him a cheeky grin, "Face it Wufei, you're stuck with me and Hilde." 

"Great, a noisy baka and his onna, what could be worse?" 

In the background, Sally rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. Finally, she pushed Wufei from the seat, ignoring his protests. 

"First of all Duo, it's a pre-natal examination, not a baby check-up, and second, we've made contact with the target." 

"I'll take your word for it doctor. So first stage is done huh?" 

"Yes. Now, we need you to find everything about a certain Dr. Benjamin Thomas and Silvanus Roscoe and send it to us as soon as possible." 

"That little bugger's involved?" Duo whistled in surprise, "Never knew he had it in him." 

"We don't know much about this whole project yet so we can't be sure about how deep his involvement is. That's why we want you to research." 

"Aw, nuts," a frown creased Duo's face, "I just remembered, I have a date later. Can't you do it? It'll be faster that way." 

"We can't. we're leaving tomorrow." 

"Leaving?!?" Duo started from his seat, "What do you mean leaving?" 

"The organization has offered to disclose some information but we have to go with them to another place. The details should be in the report I'm going to send now, unless Mr. Justice forgot to put it in." 

"I don't forget anything onna!" Wufei muttered indignantly. 

Sally just ignored him and went on, "Now, I also want you to find anything you can't about a resthouse of some sort owned by this organization. Use the satellite feeds. That could help you. I don't know if we can set up a direct transmission later, since we're already being bugged, so most of our reports would come by mail. Tell Une and the others about the developments and always be on alert. I have a certain feeling about this mission. We don't know where we'll be gong so we'll try to slip a homing device to let you know where we are, but that cannot actually be guaranteed." 

"Got it. Anything else?" 

Sally looked at Wufei, who shook his head. "Nothing more." 

"Ok then, can I ask you a question?" 

"Sure?" 

Duo grinned mischievously at her, "What the hell are you two doing in the bathroom?!?" 

Sally slammed the laptop closed. 

*** 

AN: So sorry for not updating for so long… Well now hopefully I can do this regularly. It's quite a boring chapter, not so much on the Sally-Wufei arguments since I have to start developing their mission but more of those will come later. And please don't forget to review!


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